1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical portal and, more particularly, relates to a seal system including a seal and an adapter for use with a cannula assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Minimally invasive surgical procedures including both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures permit surgery to be performed on organs, tissues and vessels far removed from an opening within the tissue. Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures generally require that any instrumentation inserted into the body be sealed, i.e. provisions must be made to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the incision as, for example, in surgical procedures in which the surgical region is insufflated. These procedures typically employ surgical instruments which are introduced into the body through a cannula. The cannula has a housing at a proximal end thereof in which a seal assembly is mounted. The seal assembly provides a substantially fluid tight seal about the instrument to preserve the integrity of the established pneumoperitoneum.
Minimally invasive procedures have several advantages over traditional open surgery, including less patient trauma, reduced recovery time, reduced potential for infection, etc. However, despite its recent success and overall acceptance as a preferred surgical technique, minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopy, has several disadvantages. In particular, the maintenance of the seal about the surgical instrument within the cannula has proven to be difficult in certain procedures, e.g., in procedures requiring extensive manipulation of the long narrow endoscopic instruments within a remote site. In addition, many conventional seal assemblies are not adapted to accommodate instruments of various sizes, while still maintaining the seal about the inserted instrument. Moreover, many seal assemblies are complex, involving multiple components and accompanying assembly requirements. Despite the availability of trocar assemblies having cannulas of various sizes, there remains a need for apparatus that may be used to vary the size of the aperture within a cannula assembly in a more efficient and efficacious manner.